And

YEAR 7&8

C: These books are suitable for more confident readers.

(All books, apart from those highlighted, are stocked in the school library for you to

borrow.)

The Declaration by Gemma Malley. C

In the year 2140, it is illegal to be young. Children are all but extinct. The world is a better

place. Longevity drugs are a fountain of youth. Sign the Declaration, agree not to have

children and you too can live forever. Refuse, and you will live as an outcast. For the children

born outside the law, it only gets worse – Surplus status. Not everyone thinks Longevity is a

good thing, but you better be clear what side you’re on. . . . Surplus Anna is about to find out

what happens when you can’t decide if you should cheat the law or cheat death.

1st in the Declaration trilogy.

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore.12 + C

A terrorist doesn't let strangers in her flat because they might be undercover police or intelligence agents, but her children bring their mates home and they run all over the place. The terrorist doesn't know that one of these kids has bugged every room in her house, made copies of all her computer files and stolen her address book. The kid works for CHERUB. CHERUB agents are aged between ten and seventeen. They live in the real world, slipping under adult radar and getting information that sends criminals and terrorists to jail. For official purposes, these children do not exist.

Ist book in the Cherub series of 18 books

Un Lun Dun by China Mieville.

‘UnLondon is at war. We’re under attack. And it’s been written, for centuries, that you – you – will come and save us.’ Stumbling through a secret entrance, Zanna and Deeba emerge in the strange wonderland of UnLondon. Here all the lost and broken things of London end up, and some of its people, too – including Brokkenbroll, boss of the broken umbrellas and Hemi the half-ghost boy. UnLondon is a place where Routemaster buses have legs, where Librarians are ‘bookaneers’, intrepid adventurers dedicated to hunting down lost books, and postmen spend years tracking the mobile addresses of the ever changing Puzzleborough. But the girls have arrived at a dangerous time – UnLondon is under siege by the sinister Smog; it’s a city awaiting its hero.

Young Bond: Silverfin by Charlie Higson. 12+

In the first novel, Silverfin James makes a life-changing discovery, there's something in the water at Loch Silverfin, something deadly, something that must be kept a secret. It's James' first day at Eton his new school, and he's already met his first enemy. This is the start of an adventure that will take him from the school playing fields to the shores of Loch Silverfin in Scotland and lead to a terrifying discovery that threatens to change the world forever. 1st in the 9 book Yong Bond Series.

Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeve. C

"It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small

mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea." The great traction city London

has been skulking in the hills to avoid the bigger, faster, hungrier cities loose in the Great

Hunting Ground. But now, the sinister plans of Lord Mayor Mangus Crome can finally unfold.

1st book int the 5 book Mortal Engines series.

Journey to the river sea by Eva Ibbotson.

An Amazon adventure set in the wilderness of Brazil, Journey to the River Sea is filled with mystery and memorable characters. It is 1910 and Maia, tragically orphaned at thirteen, has been sent from England to start a new life with distant relatives in Manaus, hundreds of miles up the Amazon. She is accompanied by an eccentric and mysterious governess who has secret reasons of her own for making the journey. Both soon discover an exotic world bursting with new experiences.

Holes by Louis Sachar.

Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck going back generations, so he is not too surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre. Nor is he very surprised when he is told that his daily labour at the camp is to dig a hole, five foot wide by five foot deep, and report anything that he finds in that hole. The warden claims that it is character building, but this is a lie and Stanley must dig up the truth. In this wonderfully inventive, compelling novel that is both serious and funny, Louis Sachar has created a masterpiece that will leave all readers amazed and delighted by the author's narrative flair and brilliantly handled plot.

The crooked sixpence by Jennifer Bell.

When their grandmother Sylvie is rushed to hospital, Ivy Sparrow and her annoying big brother Seb cannot imagine what adventure lies in store. Returning to Sylvie’s house, they find it has been ransacked by unknown intruders – before a mysterious feather scratches an ominous message onto the kitchen wall. A very strange policeman turns up on the scene, determined to apprehend them . . . with a toilet brush. Ivy and Seb make their escape – only to find themselves in a completely uncommon world, where ordinary objects have amazing powers. The forces of evil are closing in fast, and Ivy and Seb must get to the bottom of a family secret . . . before it’s too late.

1st in the Uncommonners trilogy.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. 12+

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation. Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

1st book in the 5 book luna chronicles series.

After tomorrow by Gillian Cross. 12+

What if you woke up tomorrow and everything had changed? Money is worthless. Your friends are gone. Armed robbers roam the streets. No one is safe. For Matt and his little brother, Taco, that nightmare is a reality. Their only hope of survival is to escape through the Channel Tunnel. But danger waits on the other side...Stay or go. What would you do?

The boy in the tower by Polly Ho Yen.

When they first arrived, they came quietly and stealthily as if they tip-toed into the world when we were all looking the other way. Ade loves living at the top of a tower block. From his window, he feels like he can see the whole world stretching out beneath him. His mum doesn’t really like looking outside – but it’s going outside that she hates. She’s happier sleeping all day inside their tower, where it’s safe. But one day, other tower blocks on the estate start falling down around them and strange, menacing plants begin to appear. Now their tower isn’t safe anymore. Ade and his mum are trapped and there’s no way out . .

The death defying Pepper Roux by Gerarldine McCaughrean. C

Pepper's fourteenth birthday is a momentous one. It's the day he's supposed to die. Everyone seems resigned to it—even Pepper, although he would much prefer to live. But can you sidestep Fate? Jump sideways into a different life? Naïve and trusting, Pepper sets a course through dangerous waters, inviting disaster and mayhem at every turn, one eye on the sky for fear of angels, one on the magnificent possibilities of being alive.

Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick.

Imagine that a few years from now England is covered by water, and Norwich is an island. Zoe, left behind in the confusion when her parents escaped, survives there as best she can. Alone and desperate among marauding gangs, she manages to dig a derelict boat out of the mud and gets away to Eels Island. But Eels Island, whose raggle-taggle inhabitants are dominated by the strange boy Dooby, is full of danger too. The belief that she will one day find her parents spurs Zoe on to a dramatic escape in a story of courage and determination

that is handled with warmth and humanity.

Hatchet by Gary Pulsen.

There was a wild crashing sound, a ripping of metal, and the plane blew through the trees, out over the water and down, down to slam into the lake . . .Brian is a city boy. Not used to living rough. Until his plane crash-lands in the Canadian wilderness. All he has is a hatchet - and a desperate will to survive. Now Brian must learn to live the hard way - or die.

Looking at the stars by Jo Cotterill. 12+

What if the only thing you had left were the stories in your head? Amina’s homeland has been ravaged by war, and her family is devastated . . . The women of the family – Amina, her two sisters and their mother – have no choice but to leave their home town, along with thousands of others, and head for a refugee camp.But there are even more challenges ahead .

The Selection by Kiera Cass. 12+

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life

laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless

jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her

secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce

competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by

violent rebel attacks.

1st book in the 5 book Selection series.

Ninja: First mission by Chris Bradford.

Taka's desperate to prove that he has what it takes to become a ninja. He has failed the Grandmaster's test twice already. But when the clan's scrolls are stolen by an enemy samurai he has a chance to prove himself.

The last wild by Piers Torday

Kester lives in a land in quarantine. A deadly virus has killed all the animals except pests and it's expected to be equally dangerous to humans. But when Kester realises he can talk to the pests, he finds they have great hope invested in him. A captivating animal adventure destined to be loved by readers of all ages.

1st in the Last wild Trilogy.

Watership down by Richard Adams. C

Fiver, a young rabbit, is very worried. He senses something terrible is about to happen to the warren. His brother Hazel knows that his sixth sense is never wrong. So, there is nothing else for it. They must leave immediately. And so begins a long and perilous journey of a small band of rabbits in search of a safe home. Fiver's vision finally leads them to Watership Down,

but here they face their most difficult challenge of all . . .

Blackout by Robert Swindells.

Life in a small village is boring now the war is over, there is still rationing and bomb

damage and war losses. But when a group of children hear of some treasure kept locked

in the village, things look at bit more interesting. And then two strangers turn up in the

village - and they've heard of the treasure too . . .

The Roar by Emma Clayton. C

Listen: Can you hear THE ROAR? Answer the call of the wild! Mika and Ellie live in a future behind a wall: Solid concrete topped with high-voltage razor wire and guarded by a battalion of Ghengis Borgs, it was built to keep out the animals, because animals carry the plague. At least that's what Ellie, who was kidnapped as a child, has always been taught. But when she comes to suspect the truth behind her captivity, she's ready to risk exposure to the elements and answer the call of the wild. Listen. Can you hear it? She's strapping on her headset, jumpstarting her Pod Fighter, and--with her capuchin monkey at her back--she's breaking out!

The set up by Sophie McKenzie.12+

Thirteen years ago, Professor William Fox discovered DR6124 - a gene for psychic abilities. By

synthesising it, he managed to implant it in a series of embryos, knowing that the gene would

be kick-started at puberty. But Fox was killed by his business partner, Jack Linden, before he

saw his experiment come to fruition. Jack has big plans for the kids with the psychic gene - IF

he can track them down… though Fox's brother, Fergus, is determined to stop him and keep

the kids safe: Nico - telekinetic and cocky with it; Ketty - clairvoyant and terrified she's seen

her brother's murder; Dylan - a mind-reader with morals; and Alicia - able to withstand

physical pain through the power of her mind. Can Fergus keep them - and his brother's

experiment - a secret?

Wilderness by Roddy Doyle.

While Tom and Johnny are on a husky safari in Finland, their half-sister Grainne stays

behind to face the mother who abandoned her. But Tom and Johnny are too caught up in

their adventure to think of home - until they find themselves lost in the snow, in a desperate

struggle for survival...

Wolf brother by Michelle Paver.

The first episode in Michelle Paver’s riveting saga of suspense and primal magic, set 6000

years ago. In Torak’s shadow-world of snow, forests, bears and shamanic rituals, life is harsh

and fragile. When his father, Fa the mage, dies of mortal wounds from a spirit-possessed

bear, his dying words bind Torak to a quest. He must seek and find the mythical Mountain of

the World Spirit, who will give him the strength to defeat the demonic beast. Can a wolf cub

bring him the luck he needs to complete his quest and face this killer of men?

Agent 21 Chris Ryan.

When Zak Darke's parents die in an unexplained mass murder he's left alone in the world.

That is until he's sought out by a mysterious man: ‘I work for a government agency,’ the man

tells him. ‘You don’t need to know which one. Not yet. All you need to know is that we’ve had

our eye on you. There’s a possibility you could help us in certain . . . operational

situations.’Zak becomes Agent 21. What happened to the 20 agents before him he'll never

know. What he does know is that his life is about to change for ever . . .

1st in the 6 book Agent 21 series.

Hoot by Carl Hiassen.

Unfortunately, Roy's first acquaintance in Florida is Dana Matherson, a well-known bully.

Then again, if Dana hadn't been sinking his thumbs into Roy's temples and mashing his face

against the school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And the

running boy is intriguing: he was running away from the school bus, carried no books, and-

here's the odd part-wore no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy's trail.

The chase introduces him to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion, some burrowing

owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes with unnaturally

sparkling tails.

Gregor and the Overlander by Suzzane Collins.

When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles

into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This

world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that

Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it --

until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance.

Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the

Underland forever.

Assassin’s creed: Renaissance Oliver Bowden. 12+ C

Following the murder of his father and brothers, Ezio Auditore di Firenze is entrusted with an ancient Codex, the key to a conspiracy that goes back to the centuries-old conflict between the shadowy Templar Knights and the elite Order of Assassins. Ezio must avenge the deaths of his kinsmen and in doing so fulfil his destiny, and live by the laws of the Assassin's Creed. Truth is written in blood Assassin's Creed: Renaissance is based on the phenomenally successful gaming series. Fans of the game will love these stories.

1st in this 6 book Assassins creed series

Maximum Ride: The Angel experiment by James Patterson.

Maximum Ride and her "flock" -- Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel -- are just like

ordinary kids, only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some,

but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time.

Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where

she and the others were experimented on by a crew of whack jobs. Her friends brave a

journey to blazing hot Death Valley,to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in

yet another nightmare: fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City.

Along the way, Max discovers that her purpose is save the world. But can she?

1st book in the 9 book Maximum Ride series.

Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz.

In the first book in the number one bestselling Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, fourteen-year-

old Alex is forcibly recruited into MI6. Armed with secret gadgets, he is sent to investigate Herod

Sayle, a man who is offering state-of-the-art Stormbreaker computers to every school in the country.

But the teenage spy soon finds himself in mortal danger.

1st book in the 14 book Alex Rider series.

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell.

My mother is still alive, and she is going to come for me one day. Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck which left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive, but that means still possible. You should never ignore a possible. So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother,she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers - urchins who live in the sky. Together they scour the city for Sophie's mother before she is caught and sent back to London, and most importantly before she loses hope.

The knife of never letting go by Patrick Ness 12+

Todd Hewitt, the last boy in the town, is on the brink of manhood. Forced one day to flee through a nearby swamp, he stumbles upon a patch of silence and – surprisingly – the first girl he has ever seen. Despite their initial mistrust of each other, Todd and Viola team up to evade the men who are chasing him. As they flee he discovers much about himself, his family, about friendship and about prejudice.

1st in the Chaos Walking trilogy.

Danny the Champion of the world by Roald Dahl.

Danny’s life seems perfect: his home is a gypsy caravan, he’s the youngest car mechanic

around, and his best friend is his dad, who never runs out of wonderful stories to tell. And

when Danny discovers his father’s secret, he’s off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo.

For Will and his mother, going to Indonesia isn't just a holiday. It's an escape, a new start, a

chance to put things behind them - things like the death of Will's father. And to begin with, it

seems to be just what they both needed. But then Oona, the elephant Will is riding on the

beach, begins acting strangely, shying away from the sea. And that's when the tsunami

comes crashing in, and Oona begins to run. Except that when the tsunami is gone, Oona just

keeps on running. With nothing on his back but a shirt and nothing to sustain him but a bottle

of water, Will must learn to survive deep in the jungle. Luckily, though, he's not completely

alone! He's got Oona.

The Child’s Elephant by Rachel Campbell Johnson. C

When a baby elephant is abandoned on the African savannah, a young boy named Bat takes her back to his village and cares for her. But Bat's grandmother explains that Meya cannot stay with them for ever - the call of the wild will always be sounding in her soul. Then frightening rumours arrive at the village; rumours of kidnapping, suffering and war. Bat and his friend Muka are snatched, and catapulted into a new life of unimaginable terror. Will the bond between Bat and Meya strong enough to save them?

Pax by Sara Pennypacker.

Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, and “his boy” Peter rescued him from

abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father

enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandpa. Far worse than being forced to leave home is

the fact that Pax can’t go. Peter listens to his stern father—as he usually does—and throws

Pax’s favorite toy soldier into the woods. When the fox runs to retrieve it, Peter and his dad

get back in the car and leave him there—alone. But before Peter makes it through even one

night under his grandfather’s roof, regret and duty spur him to action; he packs for a trek to

get his best friend back and sneaks into the night. This is the story of Peter, Pax, and their

independent struggles to return to one another against all odds.

Beyond the bright sea by Lauren Wolk.

Twelve-year-old Crow has lived her entire life on a tiny, isolated piece of the starkly beautiful Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. Abandoned and set adrift in a small boat when she was just hours old, Crow's only companions are Osh, the man who rescued and raised her, and Miss Maggie, their fierce and affectionate neighbor across the sandbar. Crow has always been curious about the world around her, but it isn't until the night a mysterious fire appears across the water that the unspoken question of her own history forms in her heart. Soon, an

unstoppable chain of events is triggered, leading Crow down a path of discovery and danger.

The quiet at the end of the world by Lauren James. 12+

How far would you go to save those you love? Lowrie and Shen are the youngest people on

the planet after a virus caused global infertility. Closeted in a pocket of London and doted

upon by a small, ageing community, the pair spend their days mudlarking and looking for

treasure – until a secret is uncovered that threatens not only their family but humanity’s entire

existence. Now Lowrie and Shen face an impossible choice: in the quiet at the end of the

world, they must decide what to sacrifice to save the whole human race...

The Giver by Lois Lowery.

It is the future. There is no war, no hunger, no pain. No one in the community wants for anything. Everything needed is provided. And at twelve years old, each member of the community has their profession carefully chosen for them by the Committee of Elders. Twelve-year old Jonas has never thought there was anything wrong with his world. But from the moment he is selected as the Receiver of Memory, Jonas discovers that their community is not as perfect as it seems. It is only with the help of the Giver, that Jonas can find what has been lost. And it is only through his personal courage that Jonas finds the strength to do what is right…

The Owl Service by Alan Garner c

Alison and her family are spending a holiday in Wales, in a bed and breakfast run by Gwyn and his mother. When Alison finds a curious dinner service in the attic, with a strange pattern of floral owls that looks different depending on how it is arranged, the discovery sets off a strange chain of events that look set to affect everyone's lives. Soon, Alison, her stepbrother Roger and Gwyn find themselves repeating an ancient Welsh legend associated with the valley where they are staying. As tension begins to rise, can they break the pattern and avoid tragedy?